Michigan leads nation in cracking down on dog fighting

Michigan will have the toughest rules in the nation to crack down on dog fighting as a legislative package headed for Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk will serve as a model for the rest of the country.

The bills would activate several legal tools to give law enforcement more power to shut down dog fights. Dog fighting would fall under the racketeering statutes, allowing police to seize the proceeds found at the site.

“Michigan will absolutely have the strongest package of laws in the nation to end dog fighting,” said John Goodwin, director of animal cruelty policy for the Humane Society of the United States. “This is the model from here on out for any state that is seeking creative ways to stop dog fighting and cock fighting.”

Dog fights involve illegal gambling but they also often thrive on illicit drugs, weapons trafficking, money laundering, prostitution and the sale of puppies that are the progeny of winning fighter dogs. In some cases, tens of thousands of dollars exchange hands in one day.

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“Unfortunately, the financial gains people make from this type of barbaric activity far outweigh the costs associated with the criminal punishment,” said Sen. Steve Bieda, the Warren Democrat who led the effort to beef up the penalties.

“This … is big business. We’re finding in many of the big busts that these events are well planned and often include other illegal activities.”

Dog fighting remains an ongoing problem in Michigan and across the country, despite being illegal for over a century. Experts say that Michigan contains several “hotbeds” of organized dog fighting – in Detroit, St. Clair County, Monroe County and the Kalamazoo area.

On Wednesday, the state House overwhelmingly approved a three-bill package, with two bills already passed by the Senate now headed to the governor for his signature into law. The third bill, authored by Republican Rep. Andrea LaFontaine of Columbus Township, who represents a portion of northern Macomb County, will go to the Senate for approval of some technical changes.

That bill could also go to Snyder within a week.

The legislation has received strong support from law enforcement, particularly the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, and from animal rights groups, Bieda said.

“While dog fighting is widespread in parts of Michigan, it is clear that the state Legislature and many in law enforcement are dedicated to coming up with solutions to save animals from a cruel death in the fighting pits,” said Jill Fritz, Michigan director for The Humane Society of the United States. “Creative efforts like this will go a long way toward ending dogfighting and cockfighting in our state.”

Cal Morgan, president and CEO of the Michigan Humane Society, said the Legislature’s actions will provide “more tools to bring these offenders to justice.” According to Morgan, dog fighting at its most basic involves putting two dogs in a blood-spattered pit until one is severely injured or near death.

The three bills would:

• Add animal fighting to the state’s racketeering statute, providing for enhanced criminal penalties for dog fighting rings similar to those applied to organized crime.

• Allow law enforcement to seize the assets gained from illegal animal fighting, with the forfeited funds assisting local or state government. This bill is intended to eliminate incentives, as dog fighting is largely motivated by gambling profits and sales of animals that are the offspring of fight winners.

• And sefine animal fighting as a public nuisance. Under this bill, a private citizen or county prosecutor could bring suit against any individual using property for an illegal animal fighting operation.

According to the HSUS, one state, Virginia, already applies racketeering charges to dog-fighting operations. Another, California, relies upon the public nuisance option. Several others allow for forfeiture of suspects’ funds.

None employ all three law enforcement weapons, as Michigan is on the verge of doing.

Photo by Michelle Riley/The HSUS

This photo of a pit bull engaged in a dog-fighting operation in North Carolina was taken after a police raid that resulted in one arrest and the rescue of 17 adult dogs and 13 puppies.